


Flirting With The Law

by upset_and_confused



Series: Police and Protesters or How Harry Met Albert [1]
Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boys Kissing, Dale Stop Oh God, Denise Stop Oh God, First Kiss, Hawk Why, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Minor Police Violence, Peaceful Protest, Stupid boys falling in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 04:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12473668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upset_and_confused/pseuds/upset_and_confused
Summary: Months after a drunken oath to go to every protest within driving distance freshmen Albert Rosenfield is hunched over a research paper in his dorm room when his roommate Dale Cooper decides he needs some fresh air and a good dose of fighting the power. A few blocks away, his cheeks red with embarrassment, rookie cop Harry S Truman bounces on the balls of his feet, mortified that he is on 'protest patrol'. Amazing how many lives a canister of tear gas can change when it's lobbed in the right direction.





	Flirting With The Law

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [Kami](http://superkamiokande.tumblr.com) for being my beta reader! This fic hit me while I was in bumper to bumper traffic and just evolved from there. Twin Peaks is a pretty small fandom and this is a pretty small ship, it's a little terrifying to be the first person to post for a modern university verse but, hey, someone has to do it.

Albert ran a hand through his close cut hair and let out a puff of air. Rebels with causes didn’t often have time or money for decent haircuts as Cooper liked to say, running an electric razor over his the sides and back of his friend’s hair. Rebels with a college tuition to pay, a cause, and a motorcycle payment had even less time and money for them, Albert often shot back. His hair looked alright anyway. Cooper wasn’t a stylist anyway, he was a criminologist and did what he could, Albert didn’t mind too much. A clatter from down the hall had Albert sitting back in his chair, rubbing his eyes of exhaustion and looking to the door where Cooper would be bursting through any second. The door slammed open and Dale Cooper’s wide eyed grin obscured his view of anything else.

 

“Albert you’re not gonna believe what just happened!” Cooper yelped, running over to grab his shoulder and look at him in the way only Cooper could, like you were the most interesting and amazing thing he had ever seen and he was just thrilled to see you.

 

“Well based on the look in your eyes either Trump was impeached or you found an unattended cookie, Coop, I have a lot of work to do so can you be an over excitable, eclectic, egghead elsewhere?” He asked, looking back to his laptop that Cooper was now putting his hand on to obscure Albert’s view.

 

“There is a protest right down the street and if you hurry we can join in before it gets too far away.”

 

Albert’s hand twitched, he had made a drunken vow to join in any protest he could once he was in college. Activism was more important than academics he had reasoned, no reason he couldn’t hold up his principles and grades. That was before he had decided to double major in medicine and forensics, he hadn’t been able to protest in months. But one so close by…

 

“Go put on real shoes, hippies wear sandals but that doesn’t mean they are sensible to march in, let me change my shirt.” Cooper was already in his tiny closet digging out a pair of tennis shoes before Albert could even stand up from his seat and he was still deciding between his ‘Take no shit. Do no harm’ tank top and ‘Love Trumps Hate’ one.

 

“This one.” Cooper said, grabbing the Love one. “The purple makes your eyes pop.”

 

“It absolutely doesn’t.” Albert retorted as he tugged it on anyway, nearly getting yanked off his feet when Cooper grabbed his hand and started running for the door.

 

“Coop.” Albert yelled as they were hurtling down the stairs, nearly banging into students on their journey. “Cooper!” Albert tried again, the other male was already shoving open the door, not even taking a moment to enjoy the sun on his face like he normally did but setting right off. “Dale!” Albert finally barked. Cooper stopped in his tracks and turned, looking at Albert questioningly.

 

“Now.” Albert managed to get his feet and rest a hand on Dale’s chest, looking at him with raised eyebrows “This won’t be… This isn’t a pride parade. You don’t get to dance in the street with strangers and flirt with the police on the gates, okay?” Dale wasn’t naïve and he knew that he also… Well he didn’t like many people and Dale fell into the small minority of people he happened to care for. “Just don’t run off like an idiot and start some shit you can’t stop.” He reached to squeeze his shoulder and even managed a smile when Dale nodded, gripping his neck affectionately.

 

“Albert, I have been to a few protests before and should either of us get tear gassed I know the proper procedures for eye care as well as exactly who to sue in the event of police brutality.” He gave an enormous wink and took his hand again “Now if you don’t hurry all the good spots will be taken.”

  
  


Harry Truman fidgeted. He hated this, he hated everything about this. The protesters were fine on their own, no one was bothering anyone else with the exception of some harsh words hurled in the direction of the police. Harry understood why people did it, he may not like it to be heaped on him personally but he also knew what fueled it and he wasn’t going to fault anyone for taking civic action. But he was a rookie and he was on ‘rally watch’ and he wasn’t going to argue with his superiors. Besides he had managed to get a good spot and had hollered a few encouragements to some of the protesters who had snapped playful salutes back at him. He watched as a pair of good looking young men ran into the line holding hands, maybe if Harry was lucky he could exchange a few words with them when they got close.

 

That was when all hell broke loose.

 

Something happened, no one was sure, Harry heard from someone that a couple protesters started fighting. Dale heard from someone that someone on the sidelines fell over from heat exhaustion. Albert heard from someone that a cop got jumpy. Whatever happened, it ended with riot shields and tear gas.

 

“Dale!” Albert screamed, he couldn’t find Dale and tear gas was beginning to fog his vision, he scrambled for his friend, coughing as he looked around and continued yelling for him. What the fuck was going on? He was smashed up against a wall of plastic and managed to whip his head around and make eye contact with the cop on the other side. He had the largest, most gorgeous brown doe eyes Albert had ever seen, soft looking lips, and a jaw made for fingers on it. Any other situation and Albert might be willing to try flirting with him, as it stood, he was smashed up against a riot shield, assailed by tear gas, and the pretty boy was on the other side.

 

“It’s a fucking peaceful protest, you pig!”

 

You never remember how painful pepper spray is until you get hit with it again.

 

Harry didn’t know how he got the shield, just that he was suddenly holding it and being propelled forward into the mass of protesters. He smashed into someone, Jesus, it was the guy he had seen running in, the one he wanted to compliment. He was terrified, not of the man on the other side of his shield but of the fact that someone on his side lobbed a tear gas canister at these people. He struggled to drop the shield but the press of people was too much and he couldn’t do anything but stare helplessly at the man on the other side. The slur, spit with nothing but vile smacked him right in the face and he felt his cheeks grow hot from anger and shame at it. He tried to talk, tried to do anything, but before he managed a response the tang of pepper spray filled the air and Harry was busy trying to wrestle the officer next to him to the ground and away from the protester.

 

“Dale!” Albert was beginning to think that he would just die on this street, be run over by the peaceful protesters turned into panicked ones. It was right, he supposed, he would just rather not suffer his fate blind. Hands were on his shoulders and tugging him upright before he could sink too far into his gloom and he could hear Cooper’s reassuring voice in his ear. Albert’s hands were itching to start rubbing at his eyes to relieve the pain but he knew it wouldn’t help so he sat as still as he could, swearing loudly and fluently as Coop sprayed his eyes with water and soap.

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Albert was muttering as his eyes began to open a sliver and his nose stopped running by a fraction. Dale had gotten them away from the crowd for the most part and they were under a tree in what he hopped was the campus and not just someone’s yard. “Fuck that cop for spraying me, fuck that cop for throwing the tear gas canister, fuck you for suggesting I come to this, fuck me for agreeing, fuck Professor Taggert for assigning homework, fuck…” He stopped in his listing, unable to think of anyone immediately who he could complain about and he could hear Cooper grin.

 

“Your eyes look a bit better though I can assume they still burn.” Albert hissed and flinched as Dale reached to gently prod at his swollen eyelid. “Sorry, I got the pepper spray solution but neglected to bring milk, your next veggie tofu burrito bowl is on me. Did he get any on your shirt?”

 

“Damn straight.” Albert muttered, running his hands through his hair in lieu of scrubbing at his eyes. “Fuck, yeah, let me…” He went to tug it off, squeezing his eyes shut and hissing in pain as he pulled it off his head.

 

“Any idea who hit you?” Cooper was pulling out his little notebook, his pen poised ready to take a name, anything.

 

Albert shook his head then stopped and bared his teeth in frustration, balling up his shirt and working it like a stress ball. “It was likely sheriff pretty boy, big brown eyes, curly hair, Hercules jaw.” He shot a look at Cooper as withering as could be when his eyes were puffed up and snot was still running down his chin. “I didn’t get a name.”

 

Dale nodded seriously anyway, jotting down the description and humming softly as he knelt down and cupped Albert’s chin tenderly. “Was sheriff pretty boy standing at an angle?”

  
  


“Harry I am so so sorry!” Andy was tagging along behind him like a lost puppy, tears streaming down his cheeks both from being upset and the blowback of the pepper spray. “He yelled at you and I just panicked.”

 

“S’alright, Andy, s’alright.” They had been doing this for more than two minutes now which Harry felt was more than enough time to reassure someone that you weren’t mad at them for spraying an angry protester and that even if you were to complain about it you would be ignored anyway.

 

“He was just so mean and angry I didn’t want him to try and hurt you.”

 

“I know, Andy you did what you were supposed to and no one is upset with you but right now I need you to cover for me, okay?”

 

Andy looked at him nervously and frowned a bit, “Are you going to find that protester?”

 

“I wanted to apologize to him, Andy, I promise I won’t say a thing about you I just wanted him to know it was an accident.”

 

“You don’t want me to come with you?”

 

“No you can stay here, I’ll be back before too long.”

 

He reached to clap Andy on the shoulder and turned to jog off into the crowd. Most people had dispersed at this point, Harry did find himself leaning down to ask if people needed help or if they wanted him to call anyone. He felt shivers run down his spine, he didn’t know who had thrown that canister but he couldn’t bite back the bile as he saw teens trying to wash out each other’s eyes, fumbling and crying into their phones for help. He shook his head and continued moving, he had seen Hawk calling for an ambulance before he had run off and the school medics had gotten in touch with their chief. Everyone should be fine. He hoped.

 

“At an angle?” He recognized that voice, it had yelled less than ten words at him but he could place it already. “No, Sheriff Pretty Boy was too busy smashing my face on a riot shield and look at me in stark terror, Coop.” Harry flushed as they came into sight, was it weird to think that the protester was handsome even with a red puffy face and tears streaking down his cheeks? Probably. But he had his shirt off now and he was slim and fit in a way that made Harry think picking him up wouldn’t be a problem at all.

 

“Well then it—” He saw the other one look up and was struck by how pretty he was as well, his dark hair complimenting his pale skin perfectly and his eyes, good god his eyes were like looking into two pockets of sunshine. “Speak of the devil, eh.” He called and Harry felt his heart stop as the protester turned his puffy eyes on him.

 

Harry did his best to drag his eyes off the slight definition to his stomach and make eye contact with him. “Hi, I, um.” He was saved from having to figure out something to say by the one who had not been pepper sprayed spotting someone he must have known because he was immediately waving them over.

 

“Denise!” He yelled and Harry watched as a gorgeous and extremely tall woman came jogging over, “Albert got pepper sprayed and I need you to get him to the campus medical office.”

 

She nodded seriously and took Albert, Albert, by the shoulder “Come on, honey, you can ogle the hot officer when your eyes are a bit less red.”

 

“I was not ogling!” Harry heard him bark, “Sheriff Pretty Boy was the one who sprayed me, I was not ogling!”

 

“Sure thing, honey.” She looked over her shoulder and grinned at Harry, “Think of a better way to pick him up next time, okay, handsome?”

 

Harry hadn’t felt so mortified in years.

 

“You were going to let him yell at you.” He started and looked over at The One Who Was Not Albert and blinked.

 

“What?”

 

“You didn’t spray him, you think he’s handsome, and you were going to let him give you a loud angry dressing down, why?”

 

“He…” Harry frowned and jammed his hands into his jacket pockets, “He got sprayed by my partner and it was a shit thing to happen, he should get to yell at someone, I wouldn’t have minded.” Then his head snapped up. “What makes you think I think he’s handsome?”

 

The One Who Was Not Albert smiled widely and held out his hand “Dale Cooper, criminology major anthropology minor, Albert Rosenfield’s roommate and best friend. Let me buy you a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.” Harry found himself taking the man’s hand and shaking it.

 

“Officer Harry Truman, uh, former high school football player, fly fisher.”

 

“Good to meet you, Harry. I think you’ll be a fine boyfriend for Albert, you are already happy to take his shouting and as far as knowing you were interested in him can I just say your body language is about as subtle as Albert’s.”

 

Hours later Albert was headed back to the dorm room, his eyes still stinging but now manageable, he was supposed to keep his eyes out of direct water until the swelling went down, he was also not supposed to moisturize around his eyes for a few weeks. He was itching for a cigarette but he needed to finish off that paragraph he had left behind earlier for the protest. He took a breath of night air and shook his head. Denise had been happy to spend the afternoon teasing him about the officer she swore had been gazing at Albert as wistfully as Albert had been gazing at him.

 

“I was committing his face to memory so I can know who to point to at the police station and loudly announce ‘That’s him, officers! The one who assaulted me!’”

 

“If you want to handcuff him I’m sure there would be an easier way, Albert.” She had teased.

 

He rested his hand on the knob of the door and huffed, maybe he should smoke now…

 

The door flung open so quickly he very nearly fell into Cooper. “Dale what the fuck?”

 

“Albert!” Dale’s face was sparkling with excitement and he grabbed his cheeks, “This is so perfectly romantic! Harry just got back to the police station and has tomorrow off, you have to get on your bike and go see him right now!”

 

“Dale, again, what the fuck?” He demanded, dislodging himself from the over excited man, “I have a paper to finish and eye drops to put in, so if you could please let go of me and let me get to my work.” He tried to move around Cooper but was blocked yet again.

 

“No, you don’t understand, Harry, Sheriff Pretty Boy, he didn’t spray you, it was his partner who got overly jumpy, apparently he accidentally shot himself in the foot a year ago, this isn’t the first time, anyway, he sprayed you and Harry was coming to apologize, he finds you very handsome, abrasive attribute and all, and you like him too! So go, go, get on your bike and make a huge declaration of love to him!”

 

Albert stood stock still and blinked slowly at Dale as he shook his head, “Dale that’s the most insane thing you have ever shouted at me in the doorway, including that time you almost passed out from excitement over the succulent plant you got for half off.” He moved to push around him yet again but was met with a straight arm blocking the way.”Coop.” He said sternly, “let me into the room.”

 

“I write the paper.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Dale looked at him from under his lashes, “I write the whole paper, you sign your name, you get a boyfriend and a night of sleep.”

 

Albert stared at him in shock, then began to weigh his options, he then released a growl and pushed past him. “This isn’t going anywhere and that paper better be a fucking A.”

 

Harry was red faced and distracted as he flipped through some paperwork and tapped his foot restlessly against the floor. His conversation with Cooper had been… Awkward. He had left feeling deeply anxious. Not because he thought anything would come of it but because… Well he didn’t like doing stuff like that, talking with complete strangers about ‘crushes’. He pushed back from his desk and ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Gonna start conducting electricity if you keep rubbing at your hair like that.”

 

Harry looked over at Hawk and forced a grin. “Maybe that’s the plan.”

 

“This about that protester Andy sprayed and you want to make spray?”

 

Harry clattered to the floor, smacking his head on the hard ground with a yelp. “Jesus!” He sputtered, clambering to his feet and shooting Hawk a withering look. He rubbed at the knot that would be forming on the back of his head soon and swore again as he heard the roar of a motorcycle outside.

 

“Thought Ed wasn’t coming up until tomorrow.” He muttered as he headed for the door, giving Hawk’s hair a sharp yank on his way past.

 

He stepped out into the fine mist that was filling the air and frowned at the motorcycle and the rider, he was smaller than Ed for a start, and the bike was different. “Hey, you looking for somebody?” He called to the man as he tugged his helmet off and suddenly Harry couldn’t breathe.

 

“Yeah, Cooper said you were still at work.” Albert was resting the helmet on the seat of his bike and pushing a hand through his helmet hair. “Listen, this was his idea and you can feel free to send me running if you want but I have to give you this speech before I do so keep all comments, complains, and emotional outbursts to yourself until I am done.”

 

Albert felt like an idiot but he had to admit, he was looking forward to getting the chance to at least stare at this guy for a few more minutes before they presumably parted ways for good. He was resting his hands on the godawful khaki uniform and looking up into those big doe eyes that were looking more and more confused with each passing second. “I am not a pleasant man from what I have been told, I have been described as cynical and callous, unkind and unmannered, but don’t assume that means I am violent or wish you or your partners any ill will. Sheriff Truman I am subscribed to the same ideals of Dr. King and Gandhi, that this world is teeming with hate and the only way to drive it out is love.” He could almost feel Truman’s heart stutter in time with his because cheesy and cliché as all this was he was finding himself swept up in the drama Cooper had saturated all this in. “I love you Sheriff Truman, I—Mmph!” He lost his footing and gripped Truman, Harry, as he was swept into a kiss. He wanted to be angry for being kissed without warning but he was losing track of how to think as Harry held his hips and Albert felt himself flushing as his foot lifted up just a bit in the back. His hands were in Harry’s hair and fuck it was soft. His fists were still balled in it when Harry pulled back enough that they could lock eyes.

 

“Is everyone watching us from the window?”

 

“What?” He blinked, his resolution that this was going to go nowhere was evaporating like the rain on Harry’s cheeks.

 

“The window, over my shoulder.” Albert peeked over his shoulder and several heads quickly ducked out of sight.

 

Albert flipped them off as he rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Harry whose lips were very pink in the buttery light. Harry leaned in again and Albert managed to turn his head, the wet soft lips finding his cheek. “I really do have to go.” The muttered protest brought Albert back to power and he was slowly working himself free from Harry’s grip. “Because I just met you, you’re at work, I have homework, and I have eye drops that I need to put into my eyes.”

 

Harry looked at him with nothing but concern as he very gingerly touched the area under his eyes “I really am sorry…”

 

“You didn’t do it.” Albert said, grabbing his hand to kiss the palm. “And it is feeling much better, here.” He pressed a sticky note to Harry’s forehead, “My number, you can check up on me or send me dick pics, whatever your personal style is.” He smiled too slyly at the spoiled milk look Harry’s face took on. “If you send me dick pics they will be put on Twitter with the caption ‘police creep harasses college kid’” he turned on his heel, grinning at the sound of terrified stuttering and slung a leg over his motorcycle. He looked at the stupid handsome blushing man with the post it note on his head and the kiss ripe lips. He was going to kill Coop. “I’ll see you soon, sheriff!” He called and kicked the bike to life, he peeled out of the parking lot, his skin thrumming and his mind already skipping ahead to how he was going to be spending his evening with Dale working on his paper and the taste of Sheriff Harry Truman still on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> [KAMI](http://superkamiokande.tumblr.com) DREW [ A STARTLED HARRY ](http://78.media.tumblr.com/0140d19c1081d22e31dce7dcc6eb4c1f/tumblr_inline_oyb3k532tR1r047bv_500.jpg) AND I AM FREAKING CRYING!


End file.
